Sheriff’s deputies are investigating reports that a 12-year-old Mentone girl was bullied so severely this week that she tried to take her own life.

The child, a sixth-grader at Clement Middle School in Redlands, suffered superficial cuts to her wrist. Her parents called school and law enforcement authorities fearing the alleged bullying could escalate.

The dangers of bullying made headlines in recent weeks after Phoebe Prince, a 15-year-old girl in Massachusetts, committed suicide after a nearly three-month campaign of verbally abusive, assaultive behavior and threats of physical harm at school.

“We have it as a documented incident,” Sheriff’s spokeswoman Arden Wiltshire said of the local case. “The parents were referred back to the school because the incident occurred on a school bus and was under the authority of the school district.”

Deputies were set to take a more detailed report Thursday night before deciding how to proceed.

Clement Principal Robert Clarey disputed the version of events put forth by the victim’s parents’ and said the issue was blown out of proportion.

Still, the principal has changed one class for the victim so that she no longer shares any classes with the alleged bully.